Czechs’ attitudes toward Russians worsen amid ongoing war in Ukraine

Public attitudes in Czechia toward Russians have worsened as the war in Ukraine continues, according to a January survey by STEM. Only 32 percent of Czechs said they would accept Russians as neighbours without hesitation. A decade ago, roughly half of respondents viewed Russians as acceptable neighbours, and they were then seen more positively than Ukrainians. By contrast, attitudes toward Ukrainians have slightly improved over the past ten years. Today, 46 percent of Czechs say they would accept Ukrainians as neighbours, a figure that has remained relatively stable during the war. The survey also showed a significant improvement in perceptions of Vietnamese people. While only 30 percent of Czechs would have accepted a Vietnamese neighbour in 2005, the share has risen to 73 percent today. Slovaks remain by far the most accepted neighbours, with 92 percent approval, followed by foreigners from developed countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, France and Germany.